Elizabeth “Betty” Smith Boston

Elizabeth “Betty” Smith Boston’s life began on October 22, 1948, and ended unexpectedly on December 2, 2023. She is survived by her son Robert William Boston III and her sister Julie Shelton Smith.

Born in Dallas to Betty Jim Shelton (a stylish woman from a ranching family) and Earl Talmage Smith (a pilot and businessman nicknamed “Sleepy”), Betty grew up in Amarillo as the middle child between her older sister Julie and younger sister Janie. While attending Stephen F. Austin Middle School, Betty went on the first of many dates with her future husband Robert William Boston, whom she called Bobby.

For high school, Betty left Texas to attend the prestigious all-girls prep school Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois, and graduated in 1966. After studying interior design at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, Betty returned home to Amarillo to help her then-divorced mother raise Janie.

In 1969, Betty and Bobby got married and moved to the quaint Texas town of Clarendon. In 1975, they welcomed their daughter Claire into the world, followed by their son William in 1979. “She was a devoted mother,” Bobby said. “And we had a busy life.”

In the winters, the Bostons frequently traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where Bobby’s parents lived. In the midst of raising children, Betty was an active member of both St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church and Les Beaux Arts Club of Clarendon. In her spare time, she delighted in decorating and needlepointing.

“Her homes were always beautiful, and she always had the most exquisite decor,” lifelong friend Elizabeth Wagner recalled. “And she was a needlepoint maniac. She needle-pointed everything — she even made covers for these huge stereo speakers that sat on the floor.”
In the 1980s, Betty’s zany sensibility materialized in a decidedly eccentric purchase: a green Checker Cab that made a bold statement in small-town Clarendon.

In 1991, tragedy struck the Boston family when Claire died in a tragic accident. Following a move back to Amarillo, Betty and Bobby divorced.

By the mid-1990s, Betty had started an entirely new chapter of her life. She relocated to San Antonio, earned her real estate license, and became one of the first residents at the Pearl. In tandem with her move, she forged a new community of friends and maintained an active social calendar populated by art openings, concerts, dinners, and brunches with a tight-knit circle.

Betty’s experiences working at the esteemed firms Kuper Sotheby’s and Nix Reality heightened her passion for interior design — a skill that took shape in impeccable spaces she designed for clients and herself alike. Reflecting her mother’s distinctive sense of style, Betty had a knack for creativity that ventured beyond tradition to explore unexpected combinations and possibilities. That adventurous spirit also influenced her wardrobe, in which she took great pride.

“Betty could wear things that nobody else could wear,” her dear friend Roxanne Strickland offered. “She had a fashion sense that was unbelievable. When I got married in 2018, Betty walked in wearing what looked like a burlap sack — with the perfect little bag and the perfect shoes to match — and she just rocked it.”

“She was just a natural,” Betty’s sister Julie echoed. “She could just put things together. She really had a flair.”

Beyond her undeniable elegance, Betty was also an incredibly genuine, generous and kind person with a sharp sense of humor to boot.

She loved to listen, learn and laugh with an open heart and mind that one could only dream of in a friend. While Betty was taken from us far too soon, her irreplaceable spirit will live among us through the memories and love we share.

A celebration of Betty’s life will be held on Friday, March 15, 4:00 -6:00 p.m., at Stable Hall at the Pearl in San Antonio (307 Pearl Pkwy.).